Cartoon Network Pens Ben 10 for ’06

It looks like Cartoon Network’s latest toon character has a bad case of multiple personalities. Ben Tennyson, the 10-year-old her of CN’s Ben 10, can transform himself into any one of ten different alien beings with superpowers. Created by Man of Action (Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steve Seagle), the show is billed as a sci-fi action/adventures series by the cabler, is now in production at the CN studios in Burbank, and is set to premiere in May 2006. The series has been given the greenlight for 26 half-hour episodes.

"What kid doesn’t want to be a superhero?" asks Sam Register, Cartoon Network’s senior VP of development and intergalactic activities. "And wouldn’t being 10 superheroes be 10 times as cool? Ben 10 will continue in the tradition that Cartoon Network has established of creating a new generation of superhero shows, like Teen Titans and Justice League Unlimited, for a new generation of kids. It’s an undeniably original premise with amazing alien heroes and incredible villains."

So how did Ben get this way? Apparently, it all starts out when he discovers a strange gizmo called the Omnitrix that locks itself on his wrist. That’s when he starts morphing into strange aliens such as Heatblast, Upgrade, Grey Matter, Stinkfly, Razorjaws, Wildmutt and Diamondhead (you’ve gotta love the names, by the way!)

Of course, Ben and his Omnitrix catch the eye of intergalactic villain Vilgax who wants Ben’s powers in a bad way. Helping Ben in his daily battles are his unsuspecting mentor, Grandpa Max, who takes him on a cross-country summer vacation in his RV. Then, there’s Gwen, Ben’s sharpshooting cousin who often provides the voice of reason in his chaotic adventures. OK, it’s sealed. We love the sound of this show already, but we have to wait until next summer to catch it on Cartoon Network. Sigh!